1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to motor vehicles. More specifically, the present invention relates to switches that control the function of windows in a motor vehicle. More particularly, but without restriction to the particular embodiment and/or use which is shown and described for purposes of illustration, the present invention relates to the placement and orientation of window switches within a motor vehicle.
2. Discussion
Motor vehicles of years past, as well as today, all include some type of window regulator by which a driver or passenger can control the function or the height of the window. Typical windows can be raised or lowered when the regulator is activated. One typical regulator includes a handle rotatably attached thereto. As the handle is rotated or cranked, the window regulator would cause the window to move up or down accordingly. This type of regulator activation was and still is so prevalent in the industry that phrases like xe2x80x9croll up your windowxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9croll down your windowxe2x80x9d have become common terminology in American society. Each window typically has an associated handle by which to raise or lower the window. The handle generally extends from the door in which the window is located and into the passenger compartment. In a typical sedan, each window: front left, front right, rear left, and rear right includes a window crank extending from the front left, front right, rear left, rear right door respectively. The window crank can be used to raise and lower the associated window only. This type of window system has been commonly referred to as manual windows because of the manual activation or cranking of the handle that is required to raise or lower or more generally translate the window.
The manual window, although still used today, has some significant disadvantages. First, the cranking motion is difficult and sometimes excessively burdensome. Second, the speed of the translation of the window is dependent upon the cranking of the handle, which may be, at times, slower than desired. Third, and probably the most prevalent disadvantage of manual windows, is that only the occupant seated adjacent to the door could comfortably operate the window associated with that door. Therefore, it is very difficult to translate more than one window from a specific vehicle position, i.e. diver""s seat, passenger""s seat, etc. For example, it is very difficult to xe2x80x98roll downxe2x80x99 the front right window from the driver""s seat because of the distance from the driver""s seat to the crank rotatably coupled to the right front door. The driver can, typically, only translate the front left window with ease, the front passenger can only translate the front right window with ease, and so on. An occupant would have to stretch to try to reach the crank of the door containing the desired window in order to translate the window if it was not immediately adjacent to him or her. Even with all of these disadvantages, manual windows continue to be used in the industry because they are an economically attractive method to translate a vehicle window.
Many years ago, automotive companies began to produce vehicles with power windows. Power windows use electrical current to power small electric motors that can effectively translate the windows. Therefore, power windows could be operated by the simple touch of a switch or button. In addition to the ease of operation, the use of power windows allows for additional switches placed near an occupant, typically the driver, so that the occupant can operate all of the windows of the vehicle with ease. Unfortunately, power windows, especially extra switches are expensive. Although switches located near the driver cure a deficiency of manual windows, the additional switches add a great deal of cost to the system.
Because of the cost differences between power and manual windows, it is desirable to provide a vehicle that can have either power or manual windows depending on the purchasers request. Unfortunately, automotive manufacturers are faced with significant problems when introducing a car line with models having manual windows and models having power windows. One problem is the attachment of the crank to the door in only select models. This is typically performed in one of three ways: (1) providing different trim panels for manual and power window models, (2) providing an attaching hole in the door trim panel so that the crank can attach to the regulator in a manual windows model and the attaching hole can be filed with a snap in plug in the power window models, or (3) allowing the door trim to be pierced to allow access to the regulator only in the manual window models. Another problem to solve deals with the need for switches in the power window models. Again, typically either multiple trim components, plugs, or a piercing process is used for the switch areas.
There has always been a continual and paramount need in the automotive industry to reduce cost and increase quality in motor vehicle. As a result of this need, automotive companies strive to reduce component complexity in the assembly plants, which will typically effect both cost and quality. It is also critically important that advances in cost and quality do not compromise the functionality of the vehicle. More specifically, there is a need to reduce cost while maintaining or improving the functionality of the vehicle. There is also a need to provide the maximum functionality of the car line irrespective of the specific model. There is a further need to produce vehicles for left hand and right hand drive markets using as many common components as are feasible. There is yet another need for the front passenger of the vehicle to be able to control all of the windows of the vehicle without adding excess cost to the vehicle.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from a reading of the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
It is a principal objective of the present invention to provide a vehicle at a reduced cost without compromising the functionality of the vehicle.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a window switch orientation that provides at least comparable functionality to a prior art orientation at a reduced cost.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a window switch orientation to provide increased commonality of components, including components for left hand and right hand drive vehicles.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a vehicle line that provides increased utility for the vehicles not equipped with power windows.
It is a more particular objective of the present invention to provide a window switch orientation that allows both the driver and front passenger to control the translation of all of the windows of the vehicle easily and allows the rear occupants to control the translation of the rear windows of the vehicle, without adding unnecessary cost to the vehicle.
In one form, the present invention provides a truly unique and functional window switch orientation for a motor vehicle. The window switch orientation of the present invention includes a front switch assembly for controlling the translation of the front right window that is disposed near the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. The first switch assembly includes a switch for controlling the translation of the front left window and a switch for controlling the translation of the front right window. The present invention also includes a second switch assembly for controlling the translation of the rear right window and the rear left window and is also disposed near the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. The second switch assembly is disposed rearward of the first switch assembly. The switches contained within the first switch assembly are substantially identical and have a defined size. The second switch assembly includes a switch for controlling the translation of the rear left window and a switch for controlling the translation of the rear right window. Again, The switches contained within the second switch assembly are substantially identical and have a defined size.
The orientation of the switch assemblies is critical to the present invention. The second switch assembly can be located rearward of the first switch assembly by a distance at least two times the size of a switch. The second switch assembly can further be located such that it is rearward of the seating reference point of the operator while the first switch assembly is forward of the seating reference point of the operator. The first and second switch assemblies can also be oriented such that both assemblies are located within the arc of motion of an average operator""s arm with the second switch assembly also being located within arm""s reach of a rear seat occupant. The second switch assembly is disposed within the center console of the vehicle that extends rearward from the instrument panel of the vehicle. The center console includes a relatively flat surface that terminates in a downstanding wall that interconnects the relatively flat surface and the vehicle floor. In the present invention, the second switch assembly is disposed on the downstanding wall of the center console, which is accessible for a rear seat occupant.
The orientation of the switch assemblies are such that the first switch assembly is disposed along the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and the second switch assembly is spaced rearwardly from the first switch assembly such that a vehicle driver can locate the second switch assembly by tactile sense and not by visual contact while seated properly in the driver""s seat. A traditional orientation would provide switch assemblies that can control all four windows in at least the peripheral vision of the driver while the driver is operating the vehicle, the present invention provides a first switch assembly that is in at least the peripheral vision of the driver and a second switch assembly that can be located by the tactile sense of the driver and not necessarily visual contact. In the present invention the driver is capable of locating and activating the second switch assembly with the tactile sense of his or her right hand. Due to the orientation, the second switch assembly is readily accessible by a rear seat occupant. The second switch assembly can be located by tactile sense or visual contact by the rear seat occupant.
The present invention also provides advantages with respect to an entire vehicle line. A vehicle line typically offers numerous models of essentially the same vehicle. For example, often a vehicle can be ordered as a model with manual windows or as a model with power windows. The present invention provides a first model including power windows that has a first switch assembly occupying a first defined space and a second model including manual windows that has a first storage bin occupying the first defined space. The first model also includes a second switch assembly disposed rearward of the first switch assembly near the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, which occupies a second defined space. The second model also includes a second storage bin that occupies the second defined space which is used for the second switch assembly for the first model. In order to reduce cost and complexity, the first and second defined spaces, as well as the first and second storage bins, are substantially equal in size and shape.